College Football, Then and Now.
The UM beat UF last week. As a UM fan the result was great. I watched the game on TV and was cool and comfortable. No party, no cookout, no friends and between halves I washed dishes.
When I first came to Florida and attended the UM this was a big game, the biggest of the year, and in those years we played Notre Dame, FSU, and UF on a yearly basis. I bought season tickets, I arranged my life around the college football games that happened on Friday Night and then Saturdays. I had great seats and went to the game with co-workers, poker buddies and even went on a few road trips.
Miami was the center of college football in the 1980's and the U still has the record for the most consecutive home victories (56). The coaches, players, my friends, the games were the break from working. Then Florida and Notre Dame dropped off the schedule because we weren't an automatic W for them. There were other changes as well. People's families became more important, the games weren't as compelling and it was difficult to get people to go to games.
Eventually, and when all the games were on TV, I stopped buying season tickets, still watched the games, but the antics of the players on and off the field was troubling, and we dropped in the rankings. Going to games was a big expenditure and took up almost the whole day and often I sat with folks I didn't know and had to look over my shoulder if there were fights or other bad behavior.
On Saturday night driving home from a church event, I listened to the radio that broadcast the game. It was amazing, the fan reaction was like we're back. National Championships are again going to be the norm, watch out Alabama...
It was a big game for sure, it will be the last game with Florida for a long time, I enjoyed watching the game and was happy the game was done by 4pm, a beer and potatoe chips, followed by groceries and a lottery ticket.
62 may be the new 50 but college football these days is not the college football of thirty years ago, maybe it's all the ED and ads for prostate relief.
When I first came to Florida and attended the UM this was a big game, the biggest of the year, and in those years we played Notre Dame, FSU, and UF on a yearly basis. I bought season tickets, I arranged my life around the college football games that happened on Friday Night and then Saturdays. I had great seats and went to the game with co-workers, poker buddies and even went on a few road trips.
Miami was the center of college football in the 1980's and the U still has the record for the most consecutive home victories (56). The coaches, players, my friends, the games were the break from working. Then Florida and Notre Dame dropped off the schedule because we weren't an automatic W for them. There were other changes as well. People's families became more important, the games weren't as compelling and it was difficult to get people to go to games.
Eventually, and when all the games were on TV, I stopped buying season tickets, still watched the games, but the antics of the players on and off the field was troubling, and we dropped in the rankings. Going to games was a big expenditure and took up almost the whole day and often I sat with folks I didn't know and had to look over my shoulder if there were fights or other bad behavior.
On Saturday night driving home from a church event, I listened to the radio that broadcast the game. It was amazing, the fan reaction was like we're back. National Championships are again going to be the norm, watch out Alabama...
It was a big game for sure, it will be the last game with Florida for a long time, I enjoyed watching the game and was happy the game was done by 4pm, a beer and potatoe chips, followed by groceries and a lottery ticket.
62 may be the new 50 but college football these days is not the college football of thirty years ago, maybe it's all the ED and ads for prostate relief.
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